As one of the six epicenters of Southern hip hop, Memphis has always had a thriving underground capable of producing major platinum superstars such as Eightball & MJG, 3-6 Mafia and Project Pat,Skip a.k.a Gianni Booker. All of the above-mentioned artists at one point in time literally dominated the city’s underground rap scene before going on to become national superstars. Next up to bat is Yo Gotti, M-Town’s current underground rap kingpin. Like his namesake John Gotti, the Memphis based rapper has been running the Southern underground scene with an iron fist for the past. Known and respected throughout the South for his skill and finesse on the microphone, Yo Gotti is one the South’s most respected young rappers.
Born Mario Mims, Yo Gotti grew up in the infamous Ridge Crest Apartments in a North Memphis neighborhood called Frazier. His childhood was typical for a poor ghetto youth in the Deep South. Raised in a family of hustlers and exposed to hard times 24 hours a day the Tennessee rap titan soon turned to the only thing that he knew could get him paid, hustling. “Being from the hood things like hustling will come your way,” says Yo Gotti. “Everybody in my family hustled in some kinda way.” Ironically, hustling is what ultimately led Yo Gotti to rapping.
Taking his cue from Memphis rap legends such as Eightball & MJG, Al Kapone, Gangsta Black, Triple 6 Mafia and Kingpin Skinny Pimp, all of whom he lists as influences, Yo Gotti released his own underground tape entitled, Youngster on the Come Up and placed it on consignment at local mom & pop record stores as well as hustling it out the trunk. The tape sold like hotcakes on the street and made Yo Gotti the hottest rapper on the streets of Memphis. From the Dope Game to the Rap Game, Yo Gotti’s sophomore effort sold so well that Select-O-Hits, a local based independent distributor offered him a small deal and the Memphis rapper more than doubled his fan base with absolutely no marketing or promotions. Soon he found himself ranked among the city’s top rappers. In addition to being featured on the cover of Murderdog Magazine along side his idols Kingpin Skinny Pimp and Al Kapone his record From the Dope Game to the Rap Game made the list for the magazine’s top independent record for the year 2000.
Two years later he inked a distribution deal with TVT Records and released the critically acclaimed album Life, which did respectable numbers for an independent label. “It sold about 40 or 50,000, with no promotions or video,” says Yo Gotti. “That record did what it did on its own.” But as the old saying goes when one door is closed another opened. Gotti’s reputation as the king of Memphis continued to spread and that eventually led him to a production deal with Cash Money/Universal records for his group the Block Burnaz. With his TVT sophomore album entitled Back 2 Da Basics, Yo Gotti returns with the same hardcore street flavor that his die-hard fans have come to know and love, only this time around the true king of Memphis has elevated his game a bit. Given the fact that his last record didn’t do the type of big number he’d hope for you’d think that Yo Gotti would switch up his style to reach a larger audience. Right? Wrong! According to Gotti his street credibility with his underground fans means more to him than gold or platinum status.
“The one thing that you have to understand is that when you create a fan base off of street product the last thing you wanna do is disrespect them by changing because of the record companies and stuff like that. When you do that you change what created you. To me it is very important that I keep in tune with the people that helped to sell 40,000 records independently. That’s why I call my record Back 2 Da Basics.”
Produced by DJ Thoomp, Mannie Fresh, Carlos Brody and newcomers Street Tunes, Back 2 Da Basics offers fans a gritty, insider’s view into the real streets of Memphis as seen through the eyes of Yo Gotti. Nowhere is this viewpoint more intense than on “Full Time,” the amped up lead single –and featured in the MTV Films’ Hustle & Flow movie - with a thunderous bass and intoxicating beat that espouses Gotti’s formula to success –hustle full time.
“A lotta cats wanna be a rapper or a street hustler but they don’t wanna put in the time that it takes,” says Yo Gotti. “They want the money and the cars and the girls, but they don’t wanna work hard for it. But to be successful at anything you gotta grind for it.” On the song “Mama We Gone Be Alright,” he waxes introspective by reflecting on all of the hard times that he and his family have suffered through the years and offers her hope-filled words encouragement. “Mama We Gone Be Alright” along with the gripping tune “My Story” emerges as two of the most interesting songs on Back 2 Da Basics. These three titles along with club banging songs like “Shorty” featuring Baby make Back 2 Da Basics one of the best albums of the year.
Trap Queen Freestyle
Yo Gotti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Seen yo pretty ass soon as you came in that door
I just wanna chill, got a sack for us to roll
Married to the money, introduced her to my stove
Showed her how to whip it, now she remixin' for low
She my trap queen, let her hit the bando
We be countin' up, watch how far them bands go
We just set a goal, talkin' matchin' Lambos
Man, I swear I love her how she work the damn pole
Hit the strip club, we be letting bands go
Everybody hating, we just call them fans though
In love with the money, I ain't never letting go
And I get high with my baby
I just left the mall, I'm gettin' fly with my baby, yeaaahhh
And I can ride with my baby
I be in the kitchen cookin' pies with my baby, yeeaahhh
And I get high with my baby
I just left the mall, I'm gettin' fly with my baby, yeaaahhh
And I can ride with my baby
I be in the kitchen cookin' pies with my baby, yeeaahhh
The Rollie rose gold
And the car, it needs help cause it's got suicide doors
And she keep the trap clean, cause she a trap queen
20 bands in some denim, we call 'em trap jeans
I'm like hey, wassup, hello, and then I'm like goodbye
When the pack be gettin' low, the plug on the way
He bringin' us another load
It's 64 a show and 750 for an O
And all my niggas hittas, they gon' let that pain go
They like "Gotti get money," I'm like, "How the fuck you know?"
Pull up in that Wraith, I gotta let that money show
My niggas in NY, they be fuckin' with the snow
My niggas in New Jersey, they know all about the blow
And I'm the trap king, nigga, plug goin' strong
The page is touchdown and my niggas goin' long
If you ain't gettin' money then you know your trap wrong
Old school flip, we call that shit a trap phone
And I get high with my baby
I just left the mall, I'm gettin' fly with my baby, yeaaahhh
And I can ride with my baby
I be in the kitchen cookin' pies with my baby, yeeaahhh
And I get high with my baby
I just left the mall, I'm gettin' fly with my baby, yeaaahhh
And I can ride with my baby
I be in the kitchen cookin' pies with my baby, yeeaahhh
The song "Trap Queen Freestyle" by Yo Gotti is about the rapper's love for a woman who is his queen in the drug game, known as a trap queen. He begins by expressing his admiration for her, saying that he noticed her beauty as soon as she walked in the door. Gotti also highlights his love for money and the drug trade, with lyrics such as "married to the money, introduced her to my stove" and "In love with the money, I ain't never letting go." The woman he loves is not just a pretty face, as he taught her how to whip drugs and she is now able to do it on her own.
Gotti continues to boast about his wealth and success in the drug game, mentioning his earnings of "50, 60 grand, 5 100 grams though". He also describes his lavish lifestyle, with references to a Rolls Royce with suicide doors and expensive clothing. Gotti's drug operation seems to be widespread, with mentions of his connections in New York and New Jersey.
The chorus repeats the phrases "I get high with my baby" and "I be in the kitchen cookin' pies with my baby", implying that his love interest is not only his partner in crime but also his romantic partner. Overall, the song portrays the lifestyle of a drug dealer and his queen, and their love for each other and money.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm like "hey, what's up, hello"
I greet my girl in a jovial manner as soon as she walks in.
Seen yo pretty ass soon as you came in that door
I was attracted to her beauty as soon as she came in.
I just wanna chill, got a sack for us to roll
I want to relax and smoke some weed with her.
Married to the money, introduced her to my stove
I am committed to making money and showed her my drug-selling operation.
Showed her how to whip it, now she remixin' for low
I taught her how to mix and sell drugs like me.
She my trap queen, let her hit the bando
She is my partner in the drug trade, and we do business in dangerous areas.
We be countin' up, watch how far them bands go
We count our drug money and watch it accumulate.
We just set a goal, talkin' matchin' Lambos
Our goal is to make enough money to buy matching Lamborghinis.
Got 50, 60 grand, 5 100 grams though
We have a lot of money and drugs worth a lot of money.
Man, I swear I love her how she work the damn pole
I love how she dances at the strip club to earn more money.
Hit the strip club, we be letting bands go
We spend a lot of money at the strip club.
Everybody hating, we just call them fans though
People are jealous of our success, but we see them as admirers.
In love with the money, I ain't never letting go
I am obsessed with money and won't give it up.
And I get high with my baby
I smoke weed with my girlfriend.
I just left the mall, I'm gettin' fly with my baby, yeaaahhh
I just finished shopping and getting dressed up with my girlfriend.
And I can ride with my baby
I can drive around with my girlfriend.
I be in the kitchen cookin' pies with my baby, yeeaahhh
I cook drugs in the kitchen with my girlfriend.
The Rollie rose gold
My Rolex watch has a gold casing.
And the car, it needs help cause it's got suicide doors
My car has weird doors that need fixing.
And she keep the trap clean, cause she a trap queen
My girlfriend keeps my drug-selling business organized and clean.
20 bands in some denim, we call 'em trap jeans
I carry a lot of money in my denim pants, which we call 'trap jeans.'
I'm like hey, wassup, hello, and then I'm like goodbye
I am friendly to my girl, but I am also ready to leave quickly.
When the pack be gettin' low, the plug on the way
When my drug supply runs out, my supplier is on the way.
He bringin' us another load
He is bringing us more drugs.
It's 64 a show and 750 for an O
I get paid $64K for performing, and the drugs cost $750 per ounce.
And all my niggas hittas, they gon' let that pain go
My friends are tough and will leave behind any emotional pain.
They like "Gotti get money," I'm like, "How the fuck you know?"
People assume that I make a lot of money, and I am surprised they know this.
Pull up in that Wraith, I gotta let that money show
I show off my wealth by driving a Rolls-Royce Wraith.
My niggas in NY, they be fuckin' with the snow
My friends in New York sell cocaine.
My niggas in New Jersey, they know all about the blow
My friends in New Jersey also know a lot about cocaine.
And I'm the trap king, nigga, plug goin' strong
I am the boss of the drug trade, and my supplier is reliable.
The page is touchdown and my niggas goin' long
We are receiving a large shipment of drugs and are waiting to distribute them.
If you ain't gettin' money then you know your trap wrong
If you are not making money in drug-selling, you are doing it wrong.
Old school flip, we call that shit a trap phone
We use a flip phone for drug deals, which we call a 'trap phone.'
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Mario Mims
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind